Shelby County Teachers of the Year honored

This year’s overall winners for Teachers of the Year were Amanda Bittinger of Oak Mountain High School; Charlsie Wigley of Chelsea Middle School; and Vickey Bailey of Chelsea Park Elementary.

The Shelby County school system recognized its top educators for the year at the annual Teachers of the Year ceremony Dec. 3 at Oak Mountain High School.

Hosted by the Shelby County Schools Education Foundation, the ceremony honored three outstanding teachers for elementary, middle and high school.

This year’s overall winners were:

► Elementary: Vickey Bailey of Chelsea Park Elementary.

► Middle: Charlsie Wigley of Chelsea Middle School.

► High: Amanda Bittinger of Oak Mountain High School.

“Winning Teacher of the Year for middle school in this district means the world to me,” Wigley said. “My co-workers, as well as teachers throughout Shelby County Schools, go above and beyond for their students every day, so I consider it a great honor to be recognized by them.”

Wigley has been teaching for eight years, beginning as a Teach for America corps member in the Mississippi Delta. From there, she moved on to teach eighth-grade English and later reading intervention and eighth-grade global literacy at a magnet school in Tennessee. In 2015, she returned to Alabama and started teaching seventh- and eighth-grade English at Chelsea Middle School.

“One of the things I am most proud of in my teaching journey has been the opportunity to be a CHMS Cares sponsor this year,” Wigley added. “I have tried to help them be the best versions of themselves by providing questions and feedback to their ideas and encouraging them to continue to pursue their passions.”

CHMS Cares is a student-led kindness club that was born from a student’s desire to make a difference in their community.

Having only taught middle school, this age group holds a special place in Wigley’s heart with their “humorous and heartwarming stories and comments.”

“As an English teacher, I thrive on stories, so I will never get tired of hearing my students share their life experiences with me and each other,” she said. “I think it’s important that people show and share their own humanity in schools, and I love being able to facilitate a space where students feel comfortable enough to share their unique quirks and memories as a community of learners.”

Bittinger, who has taught for 22 years, shares Wigley’s sentiment of creating a space where students can thrive.

“No child wants to be a failure, but so often many of them are treated as such, and they just develop the mindset that they are not good at certain subjects or anything in life for that matter,” Bittinger said. “They may not have a supporting adult at home, and everyone needs support and encouragement from at least one person in their life. There is no greater gift you can give a child than the ability to learn and the support they need to accomplish this.”

Bittinger herself has lived this truth. Early on during her time in school, she was told that she would never be good at math and took those words to heart. However, one high school math teacher saw her struggling with her work and took the time to help her. She believes that having a caring teacher is a necessity for a child.

“I want to do the very best that I can and help others do their very best,” Bittinger said. “So, maybe I am on the right path to accomplish this. I want to give back what so many have given to me throughout my life. I hope that this award lets them know that their time and efforts were not in vain.”